📝 Issue #447: How to Simplify Your Design, Generative Logo Design, 17 Open Source Fonts, 16 Types of Web Pages, and more…

Good design is simple design, that doesn’t mean minimal, it means usable. How do you go about creating a simple design, or simplifying a design you already have? Taras Bakusevych presents 20 easy-to-follow examples to help you achieve design perfection.

Your choice of typeface can make or break a design, but high-quality fonts are expensive. We’ve published this great collection of 17 open source fonts that are free to use, even in commercial jobs. Check them out, there’s something for every project.

Creating a “brand story” is central to design and marketing. Stories engage us, but according to Alexa Collins that’s only part of the equation; Brand stories may engage users, but if you want to make a connection you need to create a “brand personality”.

Marina Yalanska takes an overview of the web and identifies 16 basic types of web page, from the ubiquitous home page, to the more niche statistics page. Packed with tips on designing your own sites, it’s a must-read guide to the web for every designer.

With the increased interest in the soft-ui design style, drop shadows are increasingly important to front-end coders. However, the CSS box-shadow property is woefully inadequate. In this helpful post Michelle Barker re-introduces CSS’ drop shadow filter.

When it comes to finding new clients, your portfolio is invaluable for showing off your design chops. But did you know that different portfolios attract different types of client? Cameron Chapman shows us how to design a site that wins the kind of work you really want.

There’s no need to cover your desk in sticky-notes, or spend hours flicking through note books to find that awesome idea from last month. Walling is a great tool that lets you capture ideas, then visualize them on collaborative “walls”. There’s a free plan on offer.

When the team at Components AI sat down to design themselves an identity, they naturally leaned towards a generative logo. In this detailed post they reveal their design process, and offer a helpful set of waypoints for anyone interested in creating their own generative design.

Writing copy for websites is difficult if you’re not experienced in the field. Copy Ipsum is an awesome site that teaches you exactly what you should be writing about on a typical SaaS landing page, with hints, tips, and a little bit of humor thrown in for free.